


Orchid in the Window

by Katraa



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Angst, Gen, M/M, and just after-game woes, and they like him too, friendship feels, neku likes plants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-15
Updated: 2013-12-15
Packaged: 2018-01-04 16:45:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1083326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katraa/pseuds/Katraa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So he starts with a simple shoot of bamboo in a vase, pebbles scattered around the base to keep it upright.  Eventually, that morphs into two, three, four, and then miraculously five shoots of bamboo, and hey, he has his own forest going here. One day, though, he returns home, shrugs off his bag, and sees a new addition to the family.  It's a small orchid in a brown pot, resting on his windowsill, licking at the sunlight as if it is parched.  There's only one person who be conceited enough to gift something that matches their own eye color perfectly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Orchid in the Window

**Author's Note:**

> the title is actually a joke because when i was writing this originally i wrote 'orchard in the window' in the story itself and had a good laugh with my best friend. ever since, orchard in the window has been a joke between us so I found it fitting to name this after the joke. so yeah.

His parents won't let him get a pet, so he gets a plant instead. It's essentially the same thing, when you get down to it, right?

He's never been responsible for the existence of anything else before, so a plant is a logical first step. There's something oddly comforting about knowing that he alone controls life or death, and maybe that's a bit sadistic. He prefers to think that without him, this little plant wouldn't thrive, that it relies on him. it's a good thought to keep, since it makes him wake up in the morning, and make him stumble to his bathroom, groggy and rubbing at his eyes, more than likely tripping on his own messy floor, as he grabs a cup of water to provide his plant with the nutrients necessary for life. He tries to ignore the fact that he's essentially playing god--just like Joshua--because the idea alone would crawl under his skin and refuse to let go. So instead he thinks of himself as a godparent.

It's a funny thought.

So he starts with a simple shoot of bamboo in a vase, pebbles scattered around the base to keep it upright. Eventually, that morphs into two, three, four, and then miraculously five shoots of bamboo, and hey, he has his own forest going here. His parents don't question it nor do they encourage it - really, they don't even notice because they're never in his room to begin with and Neku isn't the type to bring up his interests in front of them at dinner. Rather, he keeps it himself and returns home from school everyday to make sure they're getting just the right amount of sunlight. 

It's easier to get through the days like this - especially the ones where he doesn't end up seeing his friends after school.

One day, though, he returns home, shrugs off his bag, and sees a new addition to the family. It's a small orchid in a brown pot, resting on his windowsill, licking at the sunlight as if it is parched. Neku stares at it for a long while, considers that maybe his parents have gotten him an early birthday gift - early by a few months - but then falters. Falters because there's a small, lavender ribbon around the stem of the lavender orchid and he feels dizzy. 

There's only one person who be conceited enough to gift something that matches their own eye color perfectly.

**

It's been a few months and the row of plants on his windowsill has grown into a small forest. His Mother comes into his room one day, just to collect his clothes for laundry because she's feeling particularly productive that morning, and notices that not only has Neku's window been taken over with plants of all sorts, but ivy is now crawling over his nightstand and up his lamp. His bedside table, once littered with empty drink glasses and wrinkled manga, is now sporting two or three plants that are twining over his headboard. She thinks it's rather cute that her son has a hobby, but she doesn't say anything. With Neku, it's best not to bring his hobbies to the forefront of attention - it's dissuaded him in the past. She blames public school and society for that. She never thinks to mend things.

**

Neku has taken to talking to his plants as if they're people. Of course, he knows they won't respond and he knows they're about as sentient as his socks, but it still brings him comfort to murmur to something else. Because they listen. Unlike Beat and Shiki who listen and give advice, these plants just listen. No responses, no comebacks, simply all ears - or rather, leaves.

Neku takes solace in the fact he can vent in another way besides drawing. It's very cleansing and he finds himself growing happier. At least, the days that he ignores the orchid in the window.

And then it all hits him again and his stomach knots and he feels stupid. He ignores the awards he's won for submitting his artwork to district contests, ignores the fencing gear in his closet he's recently taken up on Shiki's insistence they try something new and fun together that makes use of their time in the UG-- and he ignores all the texts in his pocket that reassure him he belongs and that the world isn't stifling.

Because in this moment, it is. It's suffocating and he feels horrible and worthless, knowing someone he cared about and thought of as a friend can't even spare a text 'hello'.

It makes him sick and regret ever opening up his world to such a selfish asshole.

** 

Some nights, when it's dark and he just sees the orchid's silhouette, he talks to it. Not like his other plants who he complains about life to, but to the orchid, he speaks softly. As if it's Josh. As if it's some walkie-talkie. And yeah, at first he groans and complains and bitches and asks what the hell Joshua, but after that it turns into murmured apologies and pleadings of 'why'. Why isn't he good enough for a friend? Is it because Joshua isn't technically human, isn't technically even of this Plane? Is Joshua too good for him?

He often falls asleep nearly falling off the bed, trying to be on the close-end of the orchid.

**

The nights turn into habitual rituals before bed and before he knows it, Neku ends up staring at his phone at Joshua's name. He knows that he's too chicken to call, to text, and that if he did it would likely say it was disconnected. And he knows he should be happy that Joshua even got him a flower, just to show he hasn't completely forgotten, but Neku is sixteen now and very selfish and young and wants more and thinks it's damn-unfair that he has to go around without his questions answered.

He ignores the phone in favor of watering his plants and calling it a night, knowing he has to be up tomorrow morning for a competition with Shiki.

**

But one night, nearly a full year later, he's too much and he's drained and he knows Joshua will never even get the text, so selfishly again, he sends one. And maybe it's a bit too forceful because he ends up sending at first, 'I hate you' but two minutes later it's 'I didn't mean that, I'm angry. I'm sorry.'

And then ten minutes after that, 'I think I'm in love with you'

And it makes him want to throw up that even if he tries to ignore the feelings he doesn't want, they're there, deeply implanted, and no wishing them away will work.

He wakes up the next morning not to a 'text not sent' but to a simple 'Who is this? I think you have the wrong number'.

His world breaks.

**

Across Shibuya, in the pad, Joshua frowns down at his phone after having answered the text. He sets it aside and takes in a deep breath before massaging his temples. Sanae is nearby and glances over, noticing the change in the air.

"What's up, boss?"

Joshua ignores him for a moment and opens his phone again, looking down at his response back to Neku.

"Nothing."

"Uh-huh… so why the long face?"

Joshua doesn't respond right away, almost feeling guilt, almost feeling human, before he pulls together the most fake smile he's ever conjured up and asks, almost whimsically, "Would you care to go to a greenhouse, Sanae? I hear the orchids are wonderful this time of year…"


End file.
